Feds to NJ Pols: Phones, Not Coffee, Distract Drivers

Federal highway officials told New Jersey lawmakers considering a ban on coffee drinking while driving that it is smartphones, not coffee, that are the primary cause of distracted driving.

National Transportation Safety Board director of highway safety Robert Molloy said Thursday hands-free and handheld devices both pose dangers. Current law already prohibits texting or talking without a hands-free device. The new legislation is broader and would bar “any activity unrelated to the actual operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle.”